Now, one thing you do need to know is that this is one very busy lady – when she’s not blogging, she’s travelling around on various acting and modelling jobs and even writes freelance for The Huffington Post & The London Mother AND she does lecturing at the London College of Style. Question is – how on earth does she stay organised with all that going on?

We asked her a few questions to find out…

What’s your favourite item on your new desk and why?

My gold letter stand has been surprisingly life changing. I have it displaying my gorgeous gold and pink note books which have two very exciting projects being mapped out in them. So, this little gem is holding my projects pride of place right now.

Tell us about your typical work day…

My working life changes with every day. Some days I will be in town at meetings and auditions, other days I will be on set and some days I will be working from home using my desk as a flat lay location as well as a spot to write at. Even if I am out and about all day I will always end my day at my desk responding to emails. I work best from my desk at home where I have everything I need around me.

Do you have any top tips for staying organised?

Files and notebooks keep me organised. I have a file for everything including invoices, tax, accounts and bills. I also have a different notebook for every project I am working on. I am a self-confessed stationery obsessive.

Describe your (refreshed) desk in three words.

Inspiring, Organised, Pinterest-worthy.

If you could have a desk mate, who’d you pick and why?

Ooo that’s a tough one. On one hand I would love to have my husband there beside me to bounce around ideas and bring me tea and cake but on the other hand my dad is a techy genius so he would be amazing to have there to answer all of my questions. My absolute favourite companion is my gorgeous dog Coco who I love having beside me, although she is quite the distraction as I spend most of my time taking photos of her.

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/desk-refresh-with-megan-taylor/feed/0HOW TO MAKE A POP-UP TACO-HUAHUA CARDhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-pop-up-card/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-pop-up-card/#respondFri, 26 Jan 2018 16:09:48 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4867Hot diggety dog! Have we got a tasty craft project for you to try…

We’ve taken one of the pups from our Puppy Chow collection and asked our friend Suzie Attaway to turn it into a craft project – well, she didn’t disappoint! How amazing is this?

This is the perfect craft project for half term and the best bit? Easy as pie. Or should that be, easy as tacos? Taco-huahua! Crazy? Yes. Amazing? Oh yeah!

First make the taco shell – take a sheet of pale orange card and place the bowl on top. Draw around it, and cut out.

Step Two

Score a line across the middle of the circle using the back of a craft knife and a ruler, and fold.

Step Three

Next, make the lettuce – draw around the bowl on a sheet of green card. Then draw a wavy line around the outside, and cut out. Score and fold in half as before.

Step Four

To make the pop-up ‘steps’ to which you will be sticking the chihuahua and bottles to, first measure and cut 8 pairs of parallel slits along the folded edge of the lettuce. The lengths of the steps should vary between 2cm and 4cm in length, but they should all measure no more than 0.5mm wide.

Step Five

Fold the lettuce at a 90-degree angle, and then gently push the steps through to the other side.

Step Six

Stick the lettuce inside the taco shell with glue and leave to dry.

Step Seven

Cut out the chihuahua and bottles from the sheet of templates and glue to the steps. Allow to dry.

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-pop-up-card/feed/0REFRESH YOUR DESK WITH ALEX STEDMAN (AKA THE FRUGALITY)https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-organise-your-desk-with-alex-stedman/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-organise-your-desk-with-alex-stedman/#respondTue, 23 Jan 2018 11:42:38 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4853We visited Alex Stedman (AKA The Frugality), a freelance fashion editor/stylist and stationery lover, at her North London office space to give her a ‘Paperchase Desk Refresh’ and ask her some very important stationery-themed questions…

What’s your favourite item on your desk and why?

I have to have a lip balm on my desk at all times – bit of an obsession! But probably a nice scented candle – such a nice treat to have it on and helps me feel a bit more balanced (even on my super-manic days!)

Tell us about your typical work day…

I don’t really have a typical work day, I could be on a shoot all day on a styling job or I could be shooting street style for my blog; I am often in town for meetings with clients and brands – but I am trying to come into my office space more and more frequently and really get some content organised and uploaded. I use my office for shoots and to film now as well, so it has so many purposes.

Do you have any top tips for staying organised?

I am a list-amaniac – and I’m definitely pen and paper kind of girl – everything is written down and I go through it often, marking when it’s done and adding elements that need to be revised.

Describe your (refreshed) desk in three words

Chic, minimal and practical

What’s your new year’s resolution?

I don’t really have one, I made a conscious effort to work less last year – I hired an assistant so I no longer work at weekends or evenings (unless it’s Fashion Week, of course!), so I will probably just try and keep that going. I find that keeping old resolutions going is often harder than starting new ones – and I’m due to have a baby this year, so there will be enough newness to embrace without any real resolutions!

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-organise-your-desk-with-alex-stedman/feed/0HOW TO MAKE A MAGICAL UNICORN CHRISTMAS CARDhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-christmas-card/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-christmas-card/#respondMon, 11 Dec 2017 15:00:54 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4828We’re ending on a high with our final Christmas craft instalment. What’s more festive than a Unicorn Christmas Card? Answer: nothing. So get on board our magical Christmas train and let’s join our crafty mate Emily Dawe to learn how to combine the art of quilling with Unicorn & Christmas awesomeness.

First thing is first – you need supplies – check out our full art & crafts offering here.

Take a purple strip, follow the edge of the unicorn from the base neck all the way round to the horn and cut the strip.

Step Four

Apply a little glue to the edge of the purple strip of paper and carefully position it over the pencil line. Hold it in place for about 20 seconds, leave to dry.

Step Five

Cut a short strip of the purple for the muzzle. And glue in place.

Step Six

Taking a paper strip, start wrapping it around a cocktail stick tightly. Pull the cocktail stick out and continue wrapping it to the end, place to one side.

Step Seven

Make up 14 coils in this way using a variety of coloured strips of paper.

Step Eight

Stretch out the coils and cut them to different lengths for the mane – test them on the unicorn as you go.

Step Nine

Once you have built up the mane, stick all the coils in place.

Step Ten

Cut a 6cm strip of paper, fold in half, then apply glue to either side and dip into gold glitter.

Step Eleven

Glue the edge of the glittered strip and position onto the horn. Apply some glue directly to the unicorn’s horn on the card, pour on some gold glitter and tip off the excess back into the packet.

Step Thirteen

Finally use a black fine line pen to draw on an eye and nostril.

TIP: Don’t put your card into an envelope, as the paper will squish! Either use a small gift box or pop into into a gift bag instead.

Share your crafts with us on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #FromPaperchase and you never know, you might win a lil’ prize if we like what we see. Wink wink.

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-christmas-card/feed/0HOW TO MAKE ORIGAMI CHRISTMAS BAUBLEShttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-origami-christmas-baubles/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-origami-christmas-baubles/#respondThu, 07 Dec 2017 11:36:22 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4799These handmade origami Christmas baubles are not only cost-effective, but they look absolutely stunning. With a couple of packs of origami paper, scissors, glue, a dash of patience and some ribbon, you’ll have your very own bespoke paper Christmas baubles!

Our mate Emily Dawe will show you how it’s done, but for the folds, we’d recommend following the steps after the video!

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/christmas-gift-guide/feed/0HOW TO WRAP LIKE A PROhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-wrap-a-gift/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-wrap-a-gift/#respondFri, 01 Dec 2017 14:30:23 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4765Want to learn how to wrap like a pro? You’ve come to the right place, wrap is our fame and wrapping things up is our game!

We’re going to show you how to tackle making your kids’ presents stand out from the crowd, styling out awkward shapes (on a budget) & wrapping inspiration for every type of friend or family member. We’ve got you covered this year.

I want to wrap my child’s presents with something a bit different this year. Any ideas?

(This present is LIT.)

Our dinosaur wrap has been a huge hit this year, so this HAS to be this as your base paper. All children love dinosaurs, but we don’t think just the paper is enough. We have got soooo many present accessories this year, you can afford to go a bit crazy with them. Just mix up those ribbons & bows – the more fun you have wrapping it, the more fun they’ll have opening it. Why not tie battery lights round them & light up their Christmas morning!

I only have wrapping paper, but I have a really difficult shape to wrap. HELP!

The easiest way to tackle awkward gifts like say… a pencil case or a child’s toy is to make a gift bag out of the wrapping paper you have. Think about it: you have all those angles, some hard, some soft and it’s just so awkward to wrap and you suffer paper splits and ending up screwing the paper and tape up and throwing it. Well, you would throw it, if that tape hadn’t stuck to your hand. You get the gist: annoying.

Making a bag out of paper is not only simple, it means you can just drop the gift inside and fold over the top, plus it looks pretty and doesn’t break the bank. Even better – our rolls of wrapping paper are on 3 for 2.

First of all make sure the paper will cover your gift completely, then you’re set to go.

Step 1. Lay the paper flat (anchor edges if it’s all curling over)

Step 2. Fold one side over, the overlap the other side and tape. You’ll end up with a loop of paper – two hole either end,

Step 3. Fold one of the open ends over, then lift it upwards and squash it flat. You’ll end up with a diamond shape.

Step 4. Fold in the top and bottom corners and tape it all down.

Step 4 Insert your hand into the open end and open it all out. You’ll be left with a bag shape.

Pop your gift in, then fold the corners down, and fold the whole lot over and tape. Then just add a bow or a tab or any decoration you like. Loads to choose from here.

Kings of Wrap n’ Roll

We’ve got a wrap style for everyone – which one are you?

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-wrap-a-gift/feed/0HOW TO DRAW A CHRISTMAS TREEhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-draw-a-christmas-tree/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-draw-a-christmas-tree/#respondTue, 21 Nov 2017 17:00:20 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4734Branch out this Christmas by making your own illustrated tree cards & tags. First thing’s first though – our lovely friend Emily Dawe is here to show you how to draw some simple tree illustrations to decorate your card & tags with.

We’ve provided you with a template if you’d like to replicate the look of the card in our video or you can simply use it as inspiration for your very own tree masterpiece. Download our templates here.

We used watercolour paper for our card, but you can use any other card you like. On the watercolour paper, measure and mark with a pencil 21 x 14.5cm and cut out with a craft knife.

Step Two

Measure and mark 10.5cm along the top and bottom edge of the card. Use a ruler and a blunt knife to score along, fold the card in half.

Step Three

Position the templates on the card front and very lightly draw round them with a pencil (or you

can draw them freehand!)

Step Four

Squeeze out a little red paint onto the plate, add some water. Test on some scrap paper first, then fill in the large red tree. Adding more water as you get to the bottom.

Step Five

Add some white to the red to make a pink, use to paint the small triangle tree. Use a fine paintbrush to add the red detail along the bottom.

Step Six

Squeeze out some navy blue, add a little water (not too much) with a medium paintbrush – test on scrap paper first – then use the side of the brush to create dashes all over the tree. Twist the brush round to make the marks quite varied.

Step Seven

Add some water to the navy, and fill in the circle tree at the top.

Step Eight

Squeeze out a little green paint, add some water, then use the fine paintbrush to fill in the

triangle tree. Add a little blue to the mix to create another tone of green.

Step Nine

When the paint has completely dried, use a gold pen on the circle tree and trunk of the dash tree.

Step 10

Use a black fine line pen and a ruler to add details and trunks to the red and pink trees, and a straight line on the green triangle tree.

Step Eleven

Apply a little PVA glue to the star on top of the dash tree, pour over some glitter, tip the excess back into the packet.

TIP: if you don’t like the colour you’ve painted with, or you make a mistake, blot straight away with kitchen towel.

For the Christmas Tag

Step One

On the watercolour paper, measure and mark with a pencil a 7cm square and cut out with a craft knife.

Step Two

Use a holepunch to make a hole in one corner.

Step Three

Lightly draw round the tree template with a pencil

Step Four

Squeeze out a little green, some navy blue (or use the remainder from the card) and some yellow paint onto a mixing plate.

Step Five

Using a fine paintbrush, mix the green with some water and apply some to the top of the tree,

rinsing off some of the paint and applying some water to the design.

Step Six

While the paint is still wet, pick up some of the yellow and mix this into the green paint on the

tree, adding water as you go.

Step Seven

Rinse off the yellow from the paintbrush, add a little of the navy to the green (less is more!)

and finish off the bottom of the tree.

Step Eight

Use a black fine line pen to draw the trunk and star.

Step Nine

Finally, cut a 20cm piece of thin ribbon and thread through the hole.

TIP: if you don’t like the colour you’ve painted with, or you make a mistake, blot straight away with kitchen towel.

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-draw-a-christmas-tree/feed/0HOW TO DECORATE A CHRISTMAS TREEhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree/#respondFri, 17 Nov 2017 16:47:46 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4650Decorating the tree has to be the best part of Christmas, but while you may have your usual box of tricks up in the loft, why not try something new?

If you really don’t want to break tradition, what about putting an additional tree somewhere else in the house? This gives you a clear slate to theme a new tree! We’ve got three looks we think you’re going to love and if you’re a traditionalist, we’re sorry, there’s nothing traditional about this guide to decorating. Why not check out our tree sets?

Mythical Dreams

Everyone loves a unicorn. E V E R Y O N E. So, we took a unicorn as a starting point and added all of our other favourite things: mermaids, rainbows, gold, ballerina bears, flamingos & woodland animals. Our ombre gold and white tree is the perfect backdrop to this festive fairytale and while it is tempting to buy a tree topper, for this look, it can only be our gold unicorn decoration to finish off the look. It has a hole on the base, so you can actually push the top of the tree into it, but we would recommend securing it on as it’s quite delicate. Dreamsville, right?

Mex-you-can!

Ah, llamas. We love a llama. This look is a real taste of Mexico, with totally on-point cacti, day of the dead style skulls, burritos, chilli peppers – it’s actually got the whole shebang. Check out our full Christmas offer here.

Always hungry? Then this look probably isn’t for you, as it may look good enough to eat, but we really wouldn’t recommend it, though we could totally eat that burger. And the croissant. And the hotdog. And the popcorn. And the… oh, these are on 3 for 2 as well, so go back for seconds!

We hope that’s given you some festive inspiration? You can check out all of our tree decorations here. We’d advise you grab a cuppa – there’s absolutely loads to choose from.

]]>https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree/feed/0HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS WREATHhttps://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath/
https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath/#respondWed, 15 Nov 2017 13:08:52 +0000https://paperchase.co.uk/the-journal/?p=4701We’ve teamed up with the lovely Emily Dawe to bring you four festive craft tutorials, with the first being this amazing pink & gold glitter encrusted, ombre wreath! Well, you didn’t think we’d go traditional, did you?

The finished look is super-slick and will have your friends and family thinking you’ve slaved for hours making this, but the reality is, with the right amount of preparation, this can be done and dusted (with glitter) in no time.

You also have the chance of winning some Paperchase vouchers & a free Project Craft workshop for you & a friend – more details at the end of this post.

So, first thing’s first – let’s have a look at which materials you’ll need before starting. We’ve tried to include lots of items you can find at home, which was nice of us

Place a dinner plate onto the foam board and draw round it with a pencil. Center the side plate in the middle of the drawn circle and draw another circle within the first.

Step Two

Protect your work surface with a cutting mat. Carefully cut round the large circle with a craft knife, then the smaller circle. This will be the base of your wreath.

Step Three

Use the leaf template to draw round and cut out a selection of leaves – you need approximately 60 leaves.

Step Four

Score down the centre of each leaf, using either a scorer or a blunt knife and a ruler. Bend the leaves slightly, to give them a 3D feel.

Step Five

Pour some glitter into a bowl. Apply a little glue to the tips of the leaves then dip them into the glitter and place on one side to dry.

Step Six

Starting with the fuchsia pink leaves, apply a little hot glue to the back of a leaf and position on the foam wreath – you only need to glue one end of the leaf.

Step Seven

Glue about 5-6 leaves of each colour, graduating the tones as you go. Work anti-clockwise around the foam wreath until it’s complete. Leave to dry before hanging above the mantelpiece or you could even use as a centrepiece on the Christmas table.

TIP: arrange the leaves around the wreath first, before gluing so you can judge how many leaves you need and practice the placement/spacing – the last thing you want is to end up with a big gap at the end!

So, how did you do? We’d love to see your finished wreaths – if you want to share them with us, then simply post to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #ProjectCraft & #FromPaperchase and not only will you get a chance to feature in our online galleries on our website, but you will also have a chance of winning some vouchers & a free Project Craft workshop for you and a friend*. We’d also welcome seeing how you put your own spin on your craft make, using your own colour theme and embellishments.